


A Silence, Held

by night_reveals



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Kink Meme, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-11
Updated: 2011-06-11
Packaged: 2017-11-10 23:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/471974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/night_reveals/pseuds/night_reveals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex goes to juvie.</p><p>Turns out he isn't the only one with secrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Silence, Held

**Author's Note:**

> From the X-men kink meme (the one that allowed underage) here ([x](http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/397.html?thread=103053#t103053)). Original prompt was "I'd like some UNDERAGE Alex, say him and his first roommate at juvie do some fumbling after the lights go out." This is not that fic. Whoops.

The hall they lead him down the first day is gray, well-lit, and seemingly never-ending. There are doors with numbered placards hung on them, deep-cut grooves into burnished metal that let their so-called rehabilitators know just who they're dealing with.

The bag Alex carries is heavy, its strap cutting into the meat of his palm. Putting all your worldly possessions in nylon will do that.

They motion to a room – 34 – and he walks in. On the east side there are no windows, as Alex expected, and the lighting is harsh. In the corner stands a wooden bunk-bed, it's lower half made but the upper messy with bunched blankets and a gray pillow, the signs of an uncaring teenage boy.

“Your roommate is in a psych eval right now,” says the man dressed in white scrubs at the door, two muscled guards flanking him, looming.

“I'm not supposed to have a roommate,” shouts Alex, throwing his bag onto the bed. It's too late; they've already slammed the door shut. He tries the handle, to no avail – he's stuck, for now.

 

The other boy's named is Gary. He's from Buffalo, his family is military, and he is _mad_. The first time Alex sees him isn't in their room, though; it's in the cafeteria, wiry Gary beating the piss out of some guy who's got at least thirty pounds on him. Alex can't help but be impressed, and relieved: Gary is sent to solitary for a month, and Alex gets to keep his secret a little longer. When they do meet, Alex is settled in enough not to jump at Gary's every move. 

They get along, at least by some definition.

 

“Your family visiting next week?” asks Alex, staring up at the bunk-bed on top of his, the springs that must dig into Gary's back every night.

“No, man. They don't give a shit about me.”

“Oh,” says Alex, stupidly. His parents don't care, either, but – “My sister may be coming.”

There is a knock on their door, a loud rap that still surprises Alex every night.

“Gary Colson, present,” drawls Gary.

“Alex Smith, present!” 

“Assholes,” mutters Gary once the guard-checks have moved on. To Alex he says, “So what?”

“Huh?”

“Your sister, you dumb fuck.”

Alex punches the bed above him and Gary laughs, puts his head over the edge to look down on Alex, raise an eyebrow in invitation to carry on.

“So, yeah. She might be coming. She's at school in Kansas right now, but she said she's trying to borrow her boyfriend's car.” At this Alex glares up at Gary. “Don't get any ideas, asshole.”

For some reason this makes Gary huff and lever himself back to his bed where he punches his pillow, grunting out a “huh."

Gary's pillow only gets abused when he's had a nightmare or when he's upset at himself. Alex sighs.

“What?”

“'What',” mocks Gary back.

Alex kicks the bed above his this time.

“What's the 'huh' for, dumbass.” He doesn't ask it like a question. Gary's more likely to answer if he isn't cornered.

The building creaks, the ventilation system a whoosh in Alex's ears as he waits, staring up.

“You don't have to worry about me and your sister, is all,” says Gary, gruff.

It takes a few seconds for Alex to process, and even then he's only trying to make all the pieces fit with the picture of his roommate he's constructed in his mind.

“What do you mean?” asks Alex, slow, measured. The wooden bunk bed shudders when Gary twists above him, the joints where the bottom and top are joined squeaking in the night.

“Just,” Gary stops, starts again. “Girls, you know. Not really my thing.”

There are many things Alex could do right now, but the only one he wants to do is rejoice, for he's not the only one with a secret. It makes him giddy. He swallows, trying not to let his grin through in his voice.

“Oh. So. That's why you and your dad...” Gary wears scars on his front from a knife-fight with his dad, long gashes that run from his sternum to his belly. Alex saw them, once.

“One of 'em, yeah.”

“Right,” says Alex.

The conversation ends there, but it's okay. 

That night Alex turns into his pillow, smiling as he wraps himself in stiff cotton sheets.

He's not the only one with a secret.


End file.
